Iran: Operations resume at Shahid Rajaee Port

Iranian Customs Administration announced that customs clearance procedures for direct transport, foreign transit, exports, and imports have resumed at Shahid Rajaee Port.

According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), a special meeting of the technical and support team was held on Sunday at the import exit gate of Shahid Rajaee Customs.

Following an on-site review of infrastructure and confirmation of operational readiness, the head of Iranian Customs Administration ordered the resumption of direct customs clearance for essential goods and shipments for production units.

In a separate statement, the administration noted that customs clearance procedures for foreign transit, exports, and imports at Shahid Rajaee Customs in Bandar Abbas have officially resumed.

Iranian Customs Administration is expected to formally announce the full resumption of customs clearance procedures across all operations later today.

A huge explosion occurred on Saturday at Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Hormozgan Province, leaving at least 25 dead and 750 injured, according to the provincial judiciary department.

The incident caused temporary disruptions in customs and transit operations. This affected the seamless flow of goods through the port, which is a crucial gateway for both imports and exports.

Shahid Rajaee Port, located in the southern city of Bandar Abbas, plays a key role in the country's trade and is vital for regional transit, particularly for goods traveling through the International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC).

 

Iran: Blast at Bandar Abbas kills 18 people

A huge blast probably caused by the explosion of chemical materials killed at least 18 people and injured more than 700 on Saturday at Iran's biggest port, Bandar Abbas, Iranian state media reported.

The explosion, which hit the Shahid Rajaee section of the port, occurred as Iran began a third round of nuclear talks with the United States in Oman.

Hossein Zafari, a spokesperson for Iran's crisis management organization, appeared to blame the explosion on poor storage of chemicals in containers at Shahid Rajaee.

"The cause of the explosion was the chemicals inside the containers," he told Iran's ILNA news agency.

"Previously, the Director General of Crisis Management had given warnings to this port during their visits and had pointed out the possibility of danger," Zafari said.

However, an Iranian government spokesperson said that although chemicals had likely caused the blast, it was not yet possible to determine the exact reason.

President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered an investigation of the incident and sent to the site his interior minister, who said efforts were continuing to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to other areas.

Iran's official news channels aired footage of a vast black and orange cloud of smoke billowing up above the port in the aftermath of the blast.

Located near the strategic Strait of Hormoz, Shahid Rajaee port is Iran’s biggest container hub, handling a majority of the country’s container goods.

The blast was heard in Qeshm, an island 16 miles south of the port.

State TV earlier reported that poor handling of flammable materials was a "contributing factor" to the explosion.

A local crisis management official told state TV that the blast took place after several containers stored at the port exploded.

 

 

Pakistan Naval Ships Visit Bandar Abbas

The Pakistan Navy's Peace and Friendship Squadron docked at Iran's Imam Khomeini Naval Base in Bandar Abbas on Saturday, marking a significant step in enhancing educational and military cooperation between the two neighboring countries.

The fleet, comprising three warships—PNS Azmat, PNS Rasadgar, and PNS Dasht—is on a mission to strengthen the ties between Pakistan and Iran. This marks the sixth visit to the port since 2016, the most recent being in January, 2024.

The arrival of the Pakistani flotilla was celebrated with an official ceremony, attended by commanders from the Imam Khomeini Naval Region, the Pakistani political consul, and the naval attaché in Iran. 

Commodore Omid Moghadam, commander of the Surface Flotilla of the Imam Khomeini Naval Region, expressed his satisfaction with the presence of the Pakistani naval ships in Bandar Abbas. 

"These friendly interactions between the naval forces of allied nations are customary and vital for bolstering our maritime cooperation," he stated. 

Captain Omid Maghami, commander of the Surface Navy Brigade of the First Naval Area, echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing that the presence of the Pakistani warships is a testament to the deepening ties between the naval forces of the two countries. 

"Such friendly exchanges between navies enhance educational and military cooperation, as well as the exchange of maritime experiences," he noted. 

During their four-day stay in Bandar Abbas, the Pakistani naval group will have a busy agenda, including meetings with the commander of the Imam Khomeini Naval Region, paying respects at the martyrs' cemetery, and visiting cultural and social sites in the city. 

The itinerary also features friendly sports competitions between the Iranian and Pakistani naval teams, meetings with political leaders of Hormozgan province, a friendship dinner on board both Iranian and Pakistani warships, and joint military exercises in the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. 

The recent docking of the Pakistan Navy's Peace and Friendship Fleet in Bandar Abbas underscores the commitment of both Iran and Pakistan to fostering stronger military and security ties. 

This visit builds on past agreements, such as those signed during the late President Ebrahim Raisi's 2023 visit to Pakistan, aimed at enhancing security cooperation and paving the way for future collaborations in maritime security and regional stability.

 

Iran: Refining project inaugurated in Hormozgan province

Iranian Oil Minister Javad Oji has inaugurated the bitumen production and storage unit of Jey Oil Refining Company in the southern Hormozgan province on Thursday.

The mentioned unit with the annual production capacity of 600,000 tons and storage of 22,000 tons of bitumen was established with an investment of about US$20 million.

This plan aims to expand the development of production and storage infrastructures in the country's key export point, Bandar Abbas being the largest export port of oil products in the country and consequently increase the share of exports and create a bitumen production and supply base in the south of the country.

The operation of the plan to improve the quality of heavy products of Bandar Abbas Refining Company in Hormozgan was started in the presence of the minister.

Despite all the external challenges like the coronavirus pandemic and the US sanctions, the Iranian oil and gas sector has been developing at a fast pace and the country is passing new milestones in this industry every day.

Various sectors of Iran’s oil and gas industry including exploration, production, processing, and distribution are all among the world’s top charts and the country is taking new steps to develop the industry even further.

Among different sectors of this industry, refining is a major one being seriously paid attention for development.

 

Iran inducts new boats for ensuring security of ships passing through Persian Gulf

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has inducted new, mostly small but faster boats, for the security of ships passing through the Persian Gulf. The boats were displayed at Bandar Abbas, Iran. 

Reportedly, the boats are equipped with multiple rockets, light anti-ship missiles and lightweight torpedoes. The boats received include a design from the UK called ‘bladerunner’ that has been repurposed by Iran. There is also a Taedong-B, North Korean submersible boat. North Korea and Iran have cooperated in the past on missile technology. There are also C-14 “China cat” missile boats which Iran has been using for many years.  

Of particular interest is the fact that Iran has now mounted drones on some of the boats. These drones are termed ‘Ababil’. Fars News didn’t mention the drones but video and still images show these mounted atop several vessels. Fars News quoted, “The speedboats are capable of carrying and firing various missiles and rockets and supporting diving operations joined by IRGC Naval Combat Organization in Bandar Abbas. The light, fast and offensive speedboats which were built in the centers affiliated to the IRGC Navy and in cooperation with the Defense Ministry will be ready for missions and operations in Persian Gulf, Sea of Oman and Caspian Sea.” 

Drones were first mounted on Iranian IRGC boats in 2020. According to reports at the time, some 70 Ababil-2 kamikaze drones were put on the IRGC vessels. It is not clear how well they work. However, the addition of the drones is aimed at providing additional security to ships passing through Persian Gulf. However, the US has termed these boats threat for its naval ships present in the region and former US President Donald Trump even threatened to sink IRGC boats.